January 20, 2023 by Gina Stipo Leave a Comment

Visit Emilia Romagna

Come with us to Emilia-Romagna in 2024!

Beginning in the spring of 2024, we are excited to add a new region to our culinary tours: the beautiful area of Emilia-Romagna in north-central Italy!

A region that most tourists just pass through on the way from the hubs of Florence and Venice, Emilia-Romagna is one of our favorite places to visit. The rich food culture, delicious wines and historic architecture found in these two regions are worth a deeper dive. This is truly important if one is to understand Italy. The area is elegant, wealthy, and urbane, filled with open and friendly people.

For a more complete history of the region, dating back to Roman times, check out this Britannica link! https://www.britannica.com/place/Emilia-Romagna

Originally separate regions, Emilia and Romagna became joined administratively in 1947. The people of these two regions, recognizing their cultural diversity, still think of themselves as either Emiliano or Romagnolo.

Emilia

The western part of the region, Emilia, is known for its amazing food culture. These people are true gourmands, and it is in Emilia that many of Italy’s most iconic foods are born. It is home to Italy’s most important DOP foods such as Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, and Mortadella di Bologna. The pastas include tagliatelle or lasagna with Bolognese ragu, and garganelli. Among the many stuffed pastas are tortelli, cappelletti and tortellini. The wines of the Lambrusco grape are slightly frizzante and simple, yet perfect with the rich foods. The capital city of Bologna has leaning towers, medieval architecture, miles of loggias covering the sidewalks and the oldest university in Europe. The Basilica of San Petronio is incredible and opens onto the city’s largest public space, Piazza Maggiore.

Romagna

Romagna makes up the eastern half of the region and was originally part of the Byzantine Roman Empire, as evidenced by the amazing byzantine mosaics of Ravenna. Due to the geographical barrier of the Appenines and a shared coastline on the Adriatic, Romagna aligned itself with the Marche to the south, rather than to Florence and Tuscany. Rimini is famous for its beaches and nightlife. The ancient etruscan salt flats of Cervia are still in use today. The main grape is Sangiovese, not Lambrusco, and tradition says that the sangiovese grape may have originated here in Romagna. Beautiful vineyards, ancient artisan products like ceramics and hand-stamped fabrics, and modern upscale car production tie the old together with the new in Romagna.

The Ecco La Cucina tour

Our week-long stay in this beautiful region will include 4 nights in the classic city of Bologna. Our four days will be filled with visits to experience the production of prosciutto, parmigiano and aceto balsamico; a cooking class with a focus on fresh pasta, and walking tours of the cities of Bologna and Parma. Included are lots of amazing meals and fabulous wines. The last three nights will be on a lovely wine estate in the heart of Romagna with visits to Faenza for ceramics, Gambettola for fabrics, a winery tour and tasting, and a day exploring the ancient mosaics in Ravenna.

Spring is the perfect time to visit the area with flowers and vineyards in bloom, warm sunny days and pleasant nights. Contact us for more information and to sign up!

Gina and Mary have been leading small group tours to Italy for over 22 years! Check us out on our lovely website Ecco La Cucina!

January 21, 2022 by Gina Stipo Leave a Comment

Revisiting Chianti Classico Wines

History of Chianti Classico

While Italy grows a lot of different red grapes, the most widely planted is sangiovese. In Tuscany, sangiovese is the basis of all the best wines they produce, from Chianti to Brunello and Vino Nobile. But Chianti Classico is by far the oldest and most important.

The word “classico” on an Italian wine label refers to the original, classic area where the wine was made. The Chianti Classico region in Tuscany dates back to medieval territory disputes between Florence and Siena, two powerful city-states of the Middle Ages. If you’ve come on our Tuscany tour, you will have heard all about the historic animosity between these two cities that still lives on today!

In 1384, Florence established a military and political zone called the League of Chianti which officially established the geographic confines of Chianti Storico, as it was called then. The wines at that time were made mainly with an indigenous grape called canaiolo.

Baron Ricasoli steps in

In the mid 1800’s, the owner of Castello Brolio left Florence with his beautiful new wife, Anna, to raise a family in the quiet of the Chianti countryside. Baron Bettino Ricasoli was interested in making better wine and so began experimenting. Using mainly sangiovese for the first time, he formulated a recipe for Chianti Classico. The recipe was tinkered with over the years, trebbiano, an abundant white grape, was added in greater quantities. There was a lot of quantity, but the quality of the wines suffered.

By the mid-20^th Century in the US, the name “chianti” had become synonymous with a thin, acidic Italian wine served in a straw-covered bottle. That image is so strong that even today we meet people who turn their nose up at chianti, which is unfortunate. There is a lot of great chianti coming out of Tuscany these days, especially in the historic Chianti Classico area between Florence and Siena.

In the 1960’s, the Consorzio di Chianti Classico adopted the Gallo Nero, or black rooster, as its symbol. This helped to differentiate the higher quality Classico wines from simple chianti wines made in the surrounding area.

Chianti Classico today

Chianti Classico’s geographic area is larger now than it was 700 years ago and there are hundreds of producers. The Ricasoli family is still involved in making wine in the region, with Castello Brolio and Castello di Cacchiano estates. Other historic Ricasoli estates no longer owned by the family, such as Castello Meleto, still make wine. Sometimes, traveling through the area north of Siena, it seems like the ancient Ricasoli family use to own most of it!

The methods for making Chianti Classico have changed for the better. Rules for making any Italian DOCG wine are strict. Today, Chianti Classico must be made with 80-100% locally grown sangiovese. Up to 20% traditional Tuscan varieties and/or the international grapes merlot and cabernet may be added. All grapes must be grown in the Classico area. Instead of using large Slavonian oak casks, most producers use smaller French oak barrels to age. Tried and true methods for growing better grapes are used in the vineyard as well.

Look for Chianti Classico DOCG the next time you go to the wine store. You’ll know Chianti Classico by the black rooster on the label!

January 18, 2022 by Gina Stipo Leave a Comment

Culinary Tour of Chianti Classico

Lets tour Chianti!

With Italy closed during the pandemic, we were stuck at home like everyone else. When we finally got back to Tuscany last October after a two-year absence we were amazed. The feeling was like coming home but at the same time seeing it with fresh eyes. To drive the same roads, to visit our favorite castles, wineries, and restaurants, to reconnect with old friends and owners, was exciting and affirming. It gave us a new enthusiasm to share it again with you. And so we’ve added a weeklong culinary tour in the heart of Chianti Classico!

How it all began

This past fall marked 21 years that I’ve been doing culinary tours in Italy! When I moved to Tuscany in 2000, I searched out the best food producers and wine makers to expand my knowledge. I initially concentrated on the Chianti Classico area, but eventually branched out to the whole region. My desire to share what I discovered led me to begin cooking classes on the estates of Spannocchia and Montestigliano. What began as hands-on lessons grew to daylong wine tours and finally week-long culinary excursions. We cooked Tuscan dishes, visited adorable villages, drank delicious wine and dined in excellent trattorias.

An evolution

Over the years, the tours have evolved. As we grew, my sister, Mary, became more involved in marketing and organization. She has been my partner for sixteen years now! Soon we branched out to other regions of Italy. We do less actual cooking now and more in-depth learning about Italy’s amazing wines.

But Tuscany and especially the Chianti Classico area have always remained close to our hearts and this spring we’re going back!

Chianti Classico Immersion

This spring we have a week planned in Tuscany. We are basing ourselves north of Siena, in the heart of Chianti Classico. We will stay at a lovely estate surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, a short drive to all our favorite haunts! This immersion into Chianti Classico gives us an opportunity to better share with you this historic area. We’ll see the classic villages of Radda, Gaioli and Castellina, deep forests filled with wild game,and rolling hills of vines and olive trees. If you’ve been with us before, this week will give you new pleasures. If you’ve not experienced Tuscany, this is a beautiful way to see it.

Tuscany is popular with travelers and tourists for great reasons. Tuscan wines have long been some of the best Italy has to offer. Its landscapes inspired Michelangelo, DaVinci and Giotto. Its history reflects the perennial fight between two medieval powerhouses, Florence and Siena. The land is dotted with old castles and new wineries, with olive groves, vineyards and forest as far as the eye can see.

There are still a few spots left in the week, June 11-18. We hope you’ll join us!

February 20, 2020 by Gina Stipo Leave a Comment

Super Tuscan wines

Super Tuscan wines are an unofficial category of high-quality, pricey wines that began to emerge in the 1970’s. A term invented to describe Tuscan wines that previously could only be classified as vino da tavola, or table wine, they were considered innovative and fresh. These wines first emerged around Bolgheri, on the western coast of Tuscany. Instead of indigenous Tuscan varietals, international grapes, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, were used. In addition, they were aged in smaller French barrels, or barriques. This gave them aging potential, but also made them more expensive.

Today, almost every producer in Tuscany makes a wine that can be classified as a super Tuscan. Many producers still use the classic international varietals, but just as many are making excellent wines with traditional, indigenous grapes. America is the key market for these wines, both because of industry marketing efforts as well as flavor profile.

On February 25th and March 31st, At the Italian Table will host a dinner showcasing three Super Tuscan wines, two from the Chianti Classico region and one from Bolgheri. It’s an excellent opportunity to try a new wine classification or get to know this important wine better!

Tuscan pecorino flan w/ roasted pear & shallot served with

Il Fauno Super Tuscan 2015

Raviolo al uovo – porcini raviolo w/ egg yolk in truffle butter served with

Poggio al Tesoro Bogheri Il Seggio 2015

Peposo – beef braised in sangiovese & black pepper served with

Arcanum 2006

Torta della Nonna – Tuscan cream cake w/ pine nuts served with

Moscadello di Montalcino dessert wine

$95 per person

Go to Open Table to make a reservation or give us a call! 502-883-0211